“Timber and Stone; two of the original building materials of mankind.”
In the early days of 2024, T&S merged with Appletech Construction to create an all-in one design-build team local to the Manhattan area.
We are a One-Stop-Shop for design and construction services that is able to deliver unique, one of a kind projects that meet or exceed our customer’s and the market’s needs. Our focus is on residential and unique commercial opportunities ranging from historic preservation projects to contemporary design, depending on the needs of the individual project. Our goal is to provide a design-build team that can deliver whatever anyone can dream up. Our past projects where both companies have worked together is already proof of concept for what we can accomplish as a team.
Not only can our architectural designers bring any vision to a virtual reality, our skilled contracting team can make it happen in an equally beautiful way. We are well versed in projects ranging from historic to contemporary, and love almost every style as long as it is well executed. We have the experience and know how to handle whatever can be thrown at us. Our knowledge, skill and passion for what we do is well tested and we are ready to deliver on day one.
Timber & Stone focuses on and seeks out projects that make the community beautiful, unique, and viable. This vision is fulfilled by taking a hands-on, craft approach and building a design out of teamwork and passionate individuals. Whether through restoring history or creating it, Timber & Stone curates a client’s goals and writes it into an architectural story.
Founded in 2000, Timber & Stone is always and has always focused on the community and their passion for design. Owner Mike Mecseri’s childhood dreams of functional art came to life with the inception of the firm and was joined by Joe Stock in 2013. Together they served the Manhattan community for 7 years. In 2021, T&S was joined by Larissa Oshima, a recent graduate from Kansas State University with her Master’s in Architectural Design. She has a sensitivity and love for history and brings a new view to the team. 2024 brought the merger of T&S and Appletech Construction & Design, creating a true design-build firm.
When working on an existing or historical build, we work to ensure that any historic details or materials are restored and highlighted to be fully appreciated. This helps add longevity to the project by both restoring its quality and helping others to see why it is important to take care of history rather than build over or destroy it. When working on a new build project, we combine modern styles with local materials and culture allowing the build to fit with its surroundings. We see maintaining the local vernacular as an important facet of the region and of our design. There is a push for brand new, but there is just as much a need to be sensitive to what allowed this beautiful city to be what it is. Commercial projects allow our firm to give Manhattan more economic and experiential activities. Historic renovations provides us an opportunity to give an old story new pages.
Sustainability isn't an option, it's imperative. Just as we are driven to pursue excellent design, we are driven to incorporate sustainability into everything we do. Timeless design is green design; One of the most important things Timber & Stone can do is adaptively reuse existing buildings. In our pursuit of sustainable strategies, we seek continuing education not only from new technologies and methods, but also from historic architecture. To build for the future, we must remember the past.
Design Build:
An architect and contractor team up to become one entity that an owner hires. This simplifies communication with the owner and ensures more accurate contractor pricing and construction input from the onset. Design-build teams can also offer expedited construction schedules on fast track projects. Other advantages can include a more defined project budget, as the general contractor can provide continuous pricing increases as the plans are developed. The expertise of the contractor can also help in certain situations by having their input in the design phase.
Design-Bid-Build (traditional):
In a design-bid-build process, a client retains an architect first to design the project and when the construction documents are complete, the project is bid to multiple contractors local to the project. There can be time-consuming back and forth between the designer and contractor to meet the desired budget and ensure a quality finished project and this process may include redesigns by the architect that would need rebidding.
Meet the Team
Michael Mecseri
Owner, Design Principal
Michael received his bachelor's degree in Architecture from Kansas State University in 1994 and has been employed in the field of design and construction since 1990. He worked summers in the construction industry for three years from 1990-1992 during college. He also worked for a residential restoration contractor from June of 1994 to December of 1997 at which point he went to work for an Architectural firm until June of 2000. He then struck out on his own and started Timber & Stone Design - Build. He focused on construction for the first four years, but transitioned into primarily designing projects. During 2023 Mike and his wife bought Appletech Construction from George and Annette Lauppe, and are continuing the operations of the construction company in conjunction with design starting in 2024. Mike lives with his wife Judine and daughter Olivia in their renovated historic Victorian home in Manhattan, Kansas.
Joe Griffee
Vice President
With over 20 years of experience at Appletech, Joe has been instrumental in Appletech’s success and has proven to be a strong and knowledgeable leader. On top of his - in the field, staff management and estimating experience, Joe has completed his degree in Construction Management fall 2023, all while working full time at Appletech during the process. He is ready and motivated to lead the construction wing of the company.
Chris Emme
Superintendant
With over 30 years of experience at Appletech, Chris is a consummate professional in knowing how to get projects done, with an incredibly wide range of skills and management capabilities. He leads our field operations and supervises our construction team(s). He is our bridge between the office and the field and he is the person responsible for making sure our projects are executed per plans and that quality standards are met or exceeded.
Larissa Oshima
Architectural Services Coordinator
Larissa graduated from Kansas State University with her Masters in Architecture in May of 2021. Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, she and her family took frequent trips downtown to visit the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum and River Market Antiques, all of which incited her love of old and beautiful things. This passion for the past drives Larissa to seek out older structures, details and buildings to adapt into spaces that can be enjoyed by present and future communities. When it comes to efficiently producing a quality set of construction documents, Larissa is extremely reliable. She is great with clients as well as written communications and has a firm grasp of the technology required to produce the work our clients expect. Her favorite hobbies are collecting antique clothing, textiles and small objects, and simply learning about the past from antique stores. Larissa lives with her husband Chris and their dog Peach in their historic 1867 limestone four-square home in the downtown neighborhood of Manhattan, Kansas.
Erin Backensto
Office Manager
Erin Backensto is new to both companies, but she is not completely new to us. She worked with Mike’s wife at Homecare and Hospice for years in multiple capacities. When he told his wife, we are going to need a new office manager to replace Annette Lauppe, Erin’s name was the first one to come up. She is great with people and numbers, very organized and reliable. Mike’s wife’s endorsement carries a lot of weight when it came to who to hire for this position and this position needs that kind of endorsement.
Community Outreach
Education Engagement
Architecture is a profession that must be passed on. We are happy to accommodate students that are interested in the profession who want to see first-hand the non-stop-action-packed-adventure of what architects actually do all day. We are also happy to speak in the classroom or elsewhere about the profession and bring samples of drawings, materials, and design software for students to get some hands on experience.
Pro Bono Work
Timber & Stone generally takes on several pro bono projects a year, depending on their size and complexity. These are generally non-profit community based projects. If you have a project that you feel could benefit from our design and consulting work, we'd be happy to discuss it with you.
Join our Team
We are looking to expand the firm and our ability to provide services to Manhattan and the surrounding communities.
For part-time student interns, please have at least 3 years of schooling. To join our construction team, please click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Timber & Stone is an equal opportunity employer.
Please do not contact us with website design offers.